Wikipedia:Picture of the day/December 2014
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These featured pictures, as scheduled below, appeared as the picture of the day (POTD) on the English Wikipedia's Main Page in December 2014. Individual sections for each day on this page can be linked to with the day number as the anchor name (e.g. [[Wikipedia:Picture of the day/December 2014#1]]
for December 1).
You can add an automatically updating POTD template to your user page using {{Pic of the day}}
(version with blurb) or {{POTD}}
(version without blurb). For instructions on how to make custom POTD layouts, see Wikipedia:Picture of the day.Purge server cache
December 1
Five views of the shell of the is a deep orange, large, and roughly ovate. On the outside, the shell color varies from gray to reddish-brown, with dark brown dashes on the spiral ribs. Photograph: H. Zell
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December 2
A Photograph: JJ Harrison
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December 3
A Saunderstown, Rhode Island, Stuart began studying painting at a young age. He studied art in Scotland under Cosmo Alexander, and in England during the American Revolution under Benjamin West. By the time he completed this self-portrait, Stuart's works had already been exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts .
Stuart returned to the United States in 1791, and went on to paint several presidential portraits – including one of George Washington which has been used on the one-dollar bill for over a century.
Painting: Gilbert Stuart
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December 4
The Guyou hemisphere-in-a-square projection is a map projection used to project a hemisphere. It is conformal everywhere except for the four corners of each hemisphere's square. This projection, developed by Émile Guyou in 1887, can be considered an oblique aspect of the Peirce quincuncial projection, with which it has numerous similarities. The imagery used for the map is a derivative of NASA's Blue Marble summer months composite, with oceans lightened to enhance legibility and contrast. Map: Strebe, using Geocart
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December 5
The steenbok (Raphicerus campestris) is a species of small antelope, generally standing 45–60 centimeters (16–24 inches) at the shoulder, commonly found in Africa. They live in a variety of habitats, from semi-desert to open woodland and thickets, and feed on low-level vegetation and roots. These common animals are typically solitary, except during mating season. Photograph: Yathin S Krishnappa
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December 6
The Grose Valley is a rugged valley in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia, which was formed by the Grose River. The valley is located between the Great Western Highway and Bells Line of Road, the two major routes across the Blue Mountains. Most of the valley falls within the Blue Mountains National Park. On the right side of the image, the Bridal Veil Falls are visible. Photograph: David Iliff
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December 7
The Photograph: Frank Schulenburg
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December 8
Correa alba is a shrub endemic to Australia. Reaching some 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) in height, this shrub is a hardy species in well-drained situations. The ovate leaves measure 1.5 to 3.5 centimetres (0.59 to 1.38 in) long and 1 to 2.7 centimetres (0.39 to 1.06 in) wide. The flowers, as shown here, are generally white, but may also be light pink. They usually appear between mid-autumn and early winter. Photograph: JJ Harrison
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December 9
Aurora Borealis is an oil painting on canvas completed by Frederic Edwin Church in 1865 and now held in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It depicts the northern lights and the Arctic expedition of Dr. Isaac Hayes – a pupil of Church's – and first exhibited in 1865. The painting has been considered to depict the portent of a simultaneously triumphant and desolate Union victory, and been associated with Church's Rainy Season in the Tropics (1866). Painting: Frederic Edwin Church
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December 10
The Photograph: JJ Harrison
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December 11
Castalius rosimon is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. First described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775, the species can be found in South and Southeast Asia. Photograph: Jeevan Jose
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December 12
American astronomer Percival Lowell at his observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. In this 1914 photograph Lowell is seen observing Venus high in the daytime sky, with the refracting telescope's 24-inch (61 cm) lens diameter stopped down to 3 inches (7.6 cm) to reduce the effects of atmospheric turbulence. Lowell has been described as "the most influential popularizer of planetary science in America before Planet X eventually led to the discovery of Pluto , 14 years after his death. Pluto was named partly in recognition of Lowell's efforts, although the Planet X theory was subsequently disproved.
Photograph: Unknown; Restoration: Joe Haythornthwaite
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December 13
This portrait was completed by Diego Velázquez in 1630, a year before Maria Anna's wedding. Painting: Diego Velázquez
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December 14
An aerial view of Masada, an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel. Found atop an isolated rock plateau, it overlooks the Dead Sea. The first fortifications on the mountain were built by Alexander Jannaeus, and significantly strengthened by the Roman client king Herod between 37 and 31 BCE. During the First Jewish–Roman War of 66–73 CE, the fortress was besieged, falling only after the 960 Sicarii defending it committed mass suicide. Masada is among the more popular tourist attractions in Israel, and in 2001 it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Photograph: Andrew Shiva
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December 15
An aerial view of Engraving: George Schlegel; restoration: Adam Cuerden
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December 16
Eristalinus megacephalus is a species of hoverfly which can be found in non-marine areas of numerous countries in Africa, Europe, and Asia. First described by Pietro Rossi in 1794, its name emphasizes the size of its head. E. megacephalus, which averages 8–11 millimetres (0.31–0.43 in) in length, uses Batesian mimicry to resemble a bee or other hymenopteran and thus scare away predators. Photograph: Muhammad Mahdi Karim
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December 17
A sketch of the facade of the Saint-Augustin Church in Paris, by its architect Victor Baltard. Born to architect Louis-Pierre Baltard in 1805, Baltard began winning prizes for his architecture by 1833. In 1849 he was made Architect of the City of Paris, and in this position he designed several buildings, including Les Halles and the Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Manteaux Church as well as this church. Before his death in 1874, he also restored several churches, including Saint-Étienne-du-Mont and Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis. Drawing: Victor Baltard
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December 18
Subpage 1
The large-sized notes that had been used since the Civil War, were introduced in 1929, though $1 notes were issued in 1933 in response to the Great Depression. The obverses of these bills were similar to contemporary Federal Reserve Notes, but can be readily differentiated by their red (not green) U.S. Treasury Seals and serial numbers .
This set of three images from the National Numismatic Collection at the National Museum of American History show the first $1, $2, and $5 notes printed. Each has the serial number A00000001A. Banknote: Bureau of Engraving and Printing (image courtesy of the National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History)
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Subpage 2
The large-sized notes that had been used since the Civil War, were introduced in 1929, though $1 notes were issued in 1933 in response to the Great Depression. The obverses of these bills were similar to contemporary Federal Reserve Notes, but can be readily differentiated by their red (not green) U.S. Treasury Seals and serial numbers .
This set of three images from the National Numismatic Collection at the National Museum of American History show the first $1, $2, and $5 notes printed. Each has the serial number A00000001A. Banknote: Bureau of Engraving and Printing (image courtesy of the National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History)
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Subpage 3
The large-sized notes that had been used since the Civil War, were introduced in 1929, though $1 notes were issued in 1933 in response to the Great Depression. The obverses of these bills were similar to contemporary Federal Reserve Notes, but can be readily differentiated by their red (not green) U.S. Treasury Seals and serial numbers .
This set of three images from the National Numismatic Collection at the National Museum of American History show the first $1, $2, and $5 notes printed. Each has the serial number A00000001A. Banknote: Bureau of Engraving and Printing (image courtesy of the National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History)
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December 19
The striated pardalote (Pardalotus striatus) is a passerine bird found in Australia. The most common pardalote species, it was first described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789. Although plumage varies, the nominate subspecies (as shown here) is identifiable by a yellow spot on the wing. Photograph: JJ Harrison
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December 20
A portrait of a male impala, showing its horns. Horns consist of bone cores surrounded by a covering of keratin and other proteins, and are often curved or spiral in shape. Most horned animal species have one pair, though some may have more. Photograph: Muhammad Mahdi Karim
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December 21
Photograph: Fabrice Lévêque
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December 22
A diagram showing different characteristics of
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December 23
Photograph: Florstein
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December 24
A Yule log cake made of chocolate sponge cake, filled with raspberry jam, and decorated to resemble its namesake. Such cakes, known as bûche de Noël in French, are traditional desserts served near Christmas in France and several of its former colonies. Photograph: Jebulon
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December 25
The Although fighting continued to take place in some places, the truce is often considered a symbolic moment of peace and humanity amidst one of the most violent events of human history. However, the high commanders on both sides saw it as insubordination, and it was not repeated after 1914. Illustration: A. C. Michael, The Illustrated London News
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December 26
Photograph: John Wells
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December 27
The worms. Photograph: JJ Harrison
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December 28
The Winkel tripel projection is a modified azimuthal map projection proposed by Oswald Winkel in 1921. The arithmetic mean of the equirectangular projection and the Aitoff projection, it was intended as a compromise between minimizing three kinds of distortion: area, direction and distance. The imagery used for the map is derived from NASA's Blue Marble summer months composite, with oceans lightened to enhance legibility and contrast. Map: Strebe, using Geocart
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December 29
Photograph: Andrew Shiva
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December 30
The Photograph: David Iliff
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December 31
A mid-19th century illustration for "Auld Lang Syne", a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to a traditional melody. It is traditionally used in the English-speaking world to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve; this has led to the song being used to close other activities as well. Engraving: John Masey Wright (artist) and John Rogers (engraver); restoration: Adam Cuerden
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